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Student Dance Concerts Run Nov. 21, 22 and 29

The department of dance at Hope College will present this semester's Student Dance Concerts on Monday-Tuesday, Nov. 21-22, at 8 p.m. in the Knickerbocker Theatre.

All pieces included in the concerts have been created and will be performed by students. In addition, a less formal concert will be presented on Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 8 p.m. in studio 207 of the Dow Center, featuring site-specific works, works in progress and freshman-choreographed pieces.

The public is invited to all three of the concerts. Admission is free.

A highlight of the Nov. 21-22 concerts will be the Dance Production class piece, which is the final product of a semester-long collaboration of 11 students with Ray Tadio of the dance faculty. The piece, titled "startasyoumeantogo... on," will incorporate daring scaffolding choreography along with floorwork as it challenges the boundaries of the theatre in its exploration of the raw struggles of humanity.

The students in the class are seniors Megan Chambers of Adrian; Paula Grahmann of Verona, Wis.; Michelle Graves of Flushing; Peter Hammer of Laurel, Mont.; Emily Liang of Holland; Alison Rickey of Richmond, Ind.; and Kristina Turner of Redford; and juniors Jennifer Andrews of Richmond, Ind.; Amanda Piagnarelli of Willowbrook, Ill.; Erin Whaley of Trenton; and Joy Wilkins of Holland.

Also presented in the concert will be works created by the students of Maxine DeBruyn's Advanced Dance Composition class, seniors Peter Hammer of Laurel, Mont., and Sona Smith of Chicago, Ill. "Foray," choreographed by Hammer, is an exploration into the realm of tap rhythm construction as fully imbued body art.

One work to be presented during the Dow concert is "Pesadilla," choreographed by freshman Anna Pillot of State College, Pa., and performed by freshmen Karolyn Burke of St. Marys, Ohio; Anna Finger of Anderson, Ind.; and Shauna Masura of Rolling Meadows, Ill. The dance has a distinct tribal feel and explores the realm of the nightmare.

Another piece to be featured at the Dow concert is "Over the Edge," choreographed by freshman Jessica Judge of Chicago, Ill., and performed by junior Krista Stanton of Lansing; and freshmen Paul Connelly of Lower Waterford, Vt.; Heather Macfarlane of Lake City; Alicia McGrew of Midland; and Sarah Williams of Indianapolis, Ind. The piece deals with issues of conformity.

Many other choreographic premieres will be presented at the Knickerbocker and Dow concerts.

The Dow Center is located on 13th Street at Columbia Avenue. The Knickerbocker Theatre is located in downtown Holland at 86 E. 8th St.